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Finance Officer: UZ-UCSF Collaborative Research Programme
Deadline: 11 December 2013

Background
UZ-UCSF Collaborative Research Programme on behalf of The International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) is seeking for suitably trained and qualified applicants to fill the position of Finance Officer in Harare.

I-TECH is collaboration between the University of Washington and the University of California, San Francisco and is a center in the University of Washington’s Department of Global Health with offices throughout Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.

Qualifications and experience
-Bachelors Degree in Accounting or ACCA or equivalent
-At least 5 years experience of which two years must be in the Not For Profit environment
-Good knowledge and experience with Accounting Software such as SAGE ERP 1000 accounting system
-Demonstrated skills in budgeting, contract management, implementing financial policies and procedures and compiling management reports for decision making
-Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, decision-making, organizational and communication skills
-Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and work effectively in a demanding environment
-Demonstrated ability to work both collaboratively and independently
-Clear written and verbal communication skills, and close attention to detail
-Computer skills including SAGE, MS Office packages, and related applications
-Experience working with the Government of Zimbabwe, USG funded programs, CDC and related NGOs
-Good command of English, both oral and written, is required

Responsibilities
The incumbent will be responsible for:
-Working with the I-TECH Country Director and her team in the compilation and preparation of annual budgets and related budget justifications working closely with the Senior Grant Analyst
-Preparing monthly invoices and other documentation for reimbursements and required trackers according to set timelines
-Drafting, implementing and monitoring of all financial policies and procedures in full compliance with all laws and regulations affecting day to day activities of UZ-UCSF/I-TECH
-Providing timely financial reports for reviewing before they are sent to I-TECH Head Office
-Effecting e-banking transactions and follow up on documentation sent to the bank for payments and reviewing all payment computations for accuracy, completeness, correct classification and validity
-Addressing all I-TECH’s financial administration and clerical needs and working closely with the UZ-UCSF Admin team for all the relevant sections.

To apply
Interested candidates should forward four (4) copies of their detailed Curriculum Vitae with a covering letter, certified copies of academic and professional certificates to the below mentioned address.

The Human Resources & Logistics Manager
UZ-UCSF Collaborative Research Programme
15 Phillips Avenue
Belgravia
Harare

Only short listed candidates will be contacted. Canvassing candidates will be disqualified.

Photo credit: New York Times

“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” – Nelson Mandela

Today the world mourns the death of an anti-apartheid icon and former president of South Africa. A man who tirelessly dedicated his life to the struggle so that the nation of South Africa could be liberated from racial oppression. Nelson ‘Madiba’ Mandela the first black president of South Africa is now at peace. The man who was once considered by the apartheid government to be the number one terrorist in South Africa in the 1950s has left behind a legacy of peace.

Mandela fought for a democratic, non-racial South Africa where both black and white people could live in harmony. After spending 27 years in prison, in part on Robben Island, Mandela served a five-year presidential term and then he retired from politics when the world was still expecting a lot from him.

Many African liberation icons have failed to emulate this feat. Mandela’s death comes at time when the African continent is not at peace as many people have lost lives through civil wars.

Mandela lived a lifetime of struggle which inspired a generation of activists and his has been an inspiration to all who are oppressed.

Source: poetfire

As the countdown to year-end begins lest we forget the bumpy road we traveled throughout the year in 2013.

We are now in December, it’s summer, and the heat is unbearable but political tensions have cooled down. There’s been a lot to write home about but very little to be proud of. The year ends under a dark cloud of poor service delivery. We spend most of the day without electricity while condemned to consume unsafe rations of water from local authorities.

In 2013 we saw the sailing in of a new constitution but questions still remain unanswered on whether to decentralize or to go the devolution path. The year was full of drama especially coming from the August House as some of the elected legislators were caught with their hands in the cookie jar of the Community Development Fund. This didn’t come as a surprise as their intentions were clear from the first day that they took office. And for their efforts spent on heckling and trading insults in Parliament, they were rewarded with hefty ‘sitting allowances’; very expensive cars and some even demanded residential stands as exit packages.

It was a competition to break the world record in flying hours as political parties in the inclusive government globetrotted to drum up support for their different causes at the expense of the ordinary taxpayer.

As the political game turned out to be nasty in 2013 we were subjected to hurling of insults and obscenities. Fellow countrymen and women especially from the Civil Society were accused of unpatriotic behavior and prison became a second home for human rights defenders.

We endured threats of election every day during the life span of the inclusive government and by grace the year 2013 brought an end to these threats. In politics its either you win or lose and the most difficult part is moving on. Up to now the debate on “credible” or “free and fair” rages on but a few still have the energy to engage.

A new government took office but the challenges have remained the same.

The announcement of the national budget was postponed owing to the liquidity crunch and as if that was not enough to kick start a new five-year term in office we got a taste of another Operation Murambatsvina some urban dwellers bracing for government’s clamp down on the so-called illegal structures.

Above, how the New Yorker chose to depict Mandela.

And below, From Africa Is A Country.

Songs for Mandela

This is the South African edition of our selection of Songs for Nelson Mandela. Last night we posted the international edition and many of our readers asked if we’d forgotten about the many South African musicians who’d written music about him. We didn’t. Here is a selection of South African music about Madiba or in tribute to him. It’s a bumper playlist, and in no particular order. Of course, we couldn’t include everything from the vast and varied music inspired by Mandela and the liberation struggle. Enjoy and feel free to post your own favourites in the comments. More